iPad iOS 9.0.2 Review: Is It Worth Installing?

Last week, Apple released an iOS 9.0.2 update for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. We’ve been using the iOS 9.0.2 update on several versions of the iPad and today we want to offer some additional feedback to iPad users. This is our iPad iOS 9.0.2 review.

September was a busy month for Apple and the iPad. The company confirmed a new 12-inch iPad Pro, a brand new iPad mini 4, and the iPad iOS 9 release date. It also released three iPad iOS 9 updates, four if you include the iOS 9.1 update that’s in beta.

In mid-September, Apple rolled out iOS 9.0 for iPad. The update delivered new features and enhancements to the iPad including improved multitasking for select models. The operating system replaced iOS 8.

A week later, Apple rolled out an iOS 9.0.1 update for the iPad. The iOS 9.0.1 update was a small bug fix update that squashed some annoying iOS 9 problems. A week after that, the iOS 9.0.1 update was already old news.

Last week, Apple rolled out iOS 9.0.2, a new bug fix update for iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches. It’s the current version of iOS 9 and an update that I’ve been using on the iPad Air 2, iPad Air and Apple’s iPad mini 2.

With a week of use under my belt, I want to take a look at how these three updates are performing. There are a number of iOS 9.0.2 problems swirling around and that makes feedback of this kind extremely important, especially if you’re coming from an older iOS update.

iOS 9.0.2 doesn’t bring any new features to the iPad and that’s why this review is focused on the software’s performance on this trio of iPads.

iPad iOS 9.0.2 Update Review

The purpose of this review is to help those of you dealing with iOS 9.0.2 problems and those of you that haven’t installed the iOS 9.0.2 update. On the account of those iOS 9.0.2 problems or for some other reason.

Before I talk about my experience, note that mileage always varies when it comes to iOS updates. My experience could be very different than yours. You’ll want to use this review as a general guide and I encourage you to seek out other opinions about the software.

That said, I’ll do my best to help steer you in the right direction. And hopefully, in the near future, you’ll be able to make a decision about whether you need iOS 9.0.2 right now or not.

Apps

While app performance has been a little shaky on the iPhone, I haven’t run into many issues with my apps on the iPad Air 2, iPad Air and iPad mini 2.

My core applications are pretty much the same across all three devices. They include Asana, Slack, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Gmail, Hangouts, Chrome, Dark Sky, Amazon, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Xbox One Smartglass.

None of these, Chrome included, have been acting up in the week since I bumped up to you iOS 9.0.2. Chrome has been giving me fits on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s but it has been extremely stable on these three iPad models.

I haven’t run into any major issues with the new multitasking features. Twitter, the app I use the most with the Slide-Out feature, is working fine with iOS 9.0.2 on board.

iOS 9.0.2 Battery Life on iPad

All three iPads are exhibiting outstanding battery life with the iOS 9.0.2 on board. Not that this is surprising. iOS 9.0 and iOS 9.0.1 treated them well too.

I’ve been using them as much as I can over the past week in an effort to test them for abnormal drain when in use or when in standby. All three have passed with flying colors. I’m still able to get more than a full day of us out of them.

I’ve been keeping a close eye on battery life in Settings. iOS 9 provides a nice in-depth battery usage tool that allows you to monitor apps and their battery intake. Apps are typically the root cause of battery life issues so I encourage you to get familiar with the tool if you haven’t already.

Wi-Fi, LTE & Bluetooth

The iPad Air 2 and iPad Air are both Wi-Fi only but I briefly tested AT&T’s LTE network on the iPad mini 2 and it was working fine. If you notice issues with cellular data, make sure there isn’t an outage in your area and then take a look at these fixes.

As for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, I’ve seen complaints about both. iPad users are running into trouble after the iOS 9.0.2 update. Unfortunately, this isn’t surprising because these are two of the most common iOS issues.

Thus far, I haven’t run into any problems. I’ve been able to successfully pair my iPad Air and iPad Air 2 to various Bluetooth speakers and headphones. No problems there, at least not yet.

I’ve tested the iPads on several different routers and I haven’t noticed any problems. Speeds are good and I haven’t seen the dreaded grayed out Wi-Fi connection or any issues with speed.

UI Speed

If you’re using an older iPad like the iPad 2 or the iPad 3, I would dig into feedback before you install the iOS 9 update. I’ve heard mixed things about the software and its performance.

If you’re using a newer iPad, you can expect the iOS 9.0.2 update to be solid.

Should You Install the iOS 9.0.2 Update?

For me, the iOS 9.0.2 update has been worth it. The update delivered key security patches and some bug fixes for potentially annoying problems. Performance is also excellent in key areas like Wi-Fi and battery life.

If you own a newer device like the iPad Air 2, iPad Air or iPad mini 2, and you already have iOS 9 on board, you should be fine moving up to iOS 9.0.2.

iPad iOS 9.0.2 Performance

We've been taking a close look at the iOS 9.0.2 update's performance on the iPad. Specifcally, its performance on the iPad Air 2, iPad Air and iPad mini 2. And what we've found is a solid update that doesn't appear to come with any major problems on board.

We've been using the update for a couple of days now and we haven't discovered any major issues lurking in the shadows. We haven't heard about any widespread performance problems on those devices though we have heard some iPad 3 and iPad 2 users who are struggling.

Before you install iOS 9.0.2, you would be wise to dig into feedback. Our impressions are a great place to start though we recommend looking around on YouTube, Apple's discussion forums, and Apple-specific forums for more details about individual updates.